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      Inside stunning superyachts which Qatar World Cup fans are hiring for £20k a night with Michelin-star chefs & helipads

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      FOOTBALL fans have been hiring £20,000 superyachts complete with helipads and Michelin-star chefs for the World Cup.Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to flock to the Gulf for the World Cup, which kicks off in Qatar on November 21.
      The Lauren L is available for hire during the World CupCredit: YachtCharterFleet
      The yacht comes with its own helipadCredit: YachtCharterFleet
      Michelin star chefs can be hired to cook for those on board superyachtsCredit: YachtCharterFleet
      Football fans can watch the game in styleCredit: YachtCharterFleet
      But while many will be taking their chances on accommodation on dry land, others will be living in style on the sea.
      Demand for the superyachts is said to be surging ahead of the tournament.
      One of the vessels for hire is the 296ft Lauren L which can accommodate 26 guests in 20 suits or parties of up to 150.
      After landing on its helipad, guests can entertain themselves in the on-board cinema, have a drink in the bar, relax in the deck jacuzzi or play with its jet skis.
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      There’s also a beauty salon on board to restore footie fans to their best after watching the Three Lions.
      Many will be heading to Dubai in the UAE and its biggest private yacht charter, Xclusive Yachts, has reported a surge in interest in hiring outs its fleet of 70 yachts.
      “We expect lots and lots of inquiries and lots and lots of bookings as well,” said marketing manager Jainney Thakker.
      “Personally I think when you talk about a game like football, it has a lot of emotional connect with all the people as well.
      “And they’re really excited to watch their favourite players and favourite teams on the big screen and I think lots and lots of people are going to charter with us and we already have 15 bookings.”
      At a cost of around £20,000 per night, customers can rent the 140ft, three-deck Stardom with and capacity for 30 guests.
      If they want to push the boat out, they can also get exclusive use of a Michelin-starred chef on board.
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      Xclusive Yachts have also launched a shared service offer for groups of fans who want to experience a few hours on the boat to watch games.
      Customer Zubin Doshn said the “the expectation is very simple”.
      “I’m sure I will have a good time with my family and friends and watch the World Cup in the middle of the sea, with all the great services they have and of course drink champagne,” he said.
      A million fans are expected to descend on the Yorkshire-sized oil-rich state.
      Some England fans fans will be forced to pay at least £5,000 to follow the team to all the way to the World Cup final, it’s been claimed.
      The Football Supporters’ Association has slammed the Qatar tournament as “the most expensive World Cup ever.
      Qatar 2022 chiefs insist there will be plenty of Fan Village Cabins to be had and urge fans to avoid the private rental market.
      But for those who need to rent, on offer is a cockroach-ridden £650-a-night hovel is among filthy rip-off flats on offer to England fans at the Qatar World Cup.
      The flat, with its cracked walls, soiled mattress and at least five ’roaches in the kitchen, was next to a noisy building site in Doha.
      Another Airbnb host, Riham, was offering digs in the capital with stained walls and lounge-kitchenette for £534 a night.
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      Mohammad showed us snaps of his “lovely” three-room property near Khalifa Stadium — a World Cup ground — at £1,789-a-night.
      They were among dozens of grubby homes advertised by landlords hoping to cash in as fans fear a looming Cup accommodation crisis.
      One of the suites on board the StardomCredit: YachtCharterFleet
      Demand for yachts to watch the World Cup us surgingCredit: Xclusive Yachts
      A luxury vessel will cost around £20,000 to hireCredit: YachtCharterFleet More

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      I’d back myself to win World Cup with this England squad… but I fear for us later in tournament, says Sam Allardyce

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      SAM ALLARDYCE believes he would win the World Cup if he was still England boss.He even named the side he would have picked in Qatar had he not resigned as Three Lions manager in 2017.
      Sam Allardyce thinks he would have won the World Cup with EnglandCredit: Getty
      England face Iran, USA and Wales in Group B and Allardyce would have gone for a blend of youth and experience at the World Cup.
      The former West Brom and England boss appeared on William Hill’s and Footy Accumulators’ No Tippy Tappy Football podcast alongside his former assistant Sammy Lee.
      And when asked if he believed he would have won the World Cup, Allardyce said: “Yes, definitely. With this squad, yes.
      “We’d go for Jordan Pickford in goal, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Conor Coady and Luke Shaw in defence.
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      “Declan Rice in midfield and Jude Bellingham alongside him, along with Mason Mount.
      “Harry Kane up front, and we’ll go with Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden. We’d be celebrating with that, this team would win the World Cup.”
      Allardyce also claimed the current crop is stronger than the Golden Generation of the noughties and, because of that, he is hopeful Gareth Southgate will lead the team to success.
      He added: “The current squad is just as good as the Golden Generation, but stronger in depth, I feel.
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      “I think this is why, hopefully, this squad can go all the way this time. They’ve proven they can get there; now they just need to get over the line.
      “I think that the Paul Scholes generation with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard – midfield-wise – are better than England’s current midfield. I don’t think there’s any question about that.
      “I think there was a myth that they couldn’t play together which was built up by the media.
      “If that were the case, Sven at the time with Sammy, he wouldn’t have been thinking, ‘Well, we can’t pick them if we don’t think they can play together’.” More

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      Activist Peter Tatchell ‘arrested’ in Qatar for protesting against anti-gay regime just weeks before World Cup

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      PETER Tatchell said he has been arrested after staging a one-man protest against Qatar’s treatment of gay people.The activist was pictured holding a placard supporting Qatari people, just 26 days before the start of the football World Cup.
      Peter Tatchell protesting in Qatar against the country’s treatment of LGBT+ peopleCredit: Twitter
      Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and punishable by up to three years in prison.
      Qatar denied that Tatchell had been arrested and hit back at the what it claimed were “baseless accusations”.
      Tatchell stood for more than hour wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “#Qatarantigay” and holding a placard that read Qatar arrests and subjects LGBTs to conversion.
      Two uniformed police officers and three plain clothes officials arrived at the scene.
      They folded up his placard and took photos of Tatchell’s passport and other papers, and those of a man accompanying him.
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      Police left after shaking hands with Tatchell, who remained on the pavement.
      The activist said he was arrested for the demonstration but later freed.
      “There can be no normal sporting relations with an abnormal regime like Qatar,” he said speaking from Qatar shortly before his protest.
      “It is a homophobic, sexist and racist dictatorship.
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      “Qatar cannot be allowed to sportswash its reputation. It is using the World Cup to enhance its international image.
      “I did this protest to shine a light on Qatar’s human rights abuses against LGBT+ people, women, migrant workers and liberal Qataris. I am supporting their brave battle against tyranny.”
      Prior to the 2018 World Cup, Tatchell was detained in Moscow whiile staging a protest against the treatment of gay people in the Russian republic of Chechnya.
      Human Rights Watch on on Monday said security forces in Qatar arbitrarily arrested and abused LGBT Qataris as recently as last month.
      A Qatari official said in a statement that HRW’s allegations “contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false”.
      In response to Tatchell’s protest, Qatar’s Government Communications Office said reports of his arrest are “completely false and without merit”.
      “An individual standing in a traffic roundabout was cordially and professionally asked to move to the sidewalk, no arrests were made. 
      “We are extremely disappointed to see baseless accusations being freely reported by media outlets, without facts.
      “Many organisations will use increased media attention on Qatar ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to promote their own profiles.
      “We are always open to dialogue with entities that wish to discuss important topics, but spreading false information with the deliberate intention of provoking negative responses is irresponsible and unacceptable.”
      England manager Gareth Southgate said earlier this year that it’s “horrible” that female and gay England fans fear travelling to the World Cup.
      Australian footballer Josh Cavallo has said he’s “very scared” to play at the World Cup after coming out as the first openly gay male footballer.
      Over the summer World Cup chiefs said they have been given assurances that gay fans will not be persecuted when they visit the country in November.
      A Uefa working party, including FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, travelled to Doha for a third scoping visit.
      There have been suggestions that hotels might prevent gay couples from sharing rooms but Uefa said: “LGBTQI+ rights were discussed at length.
      “Assurances were provided regarding fans being safely welcomed with rainbow flags, in line with previous statements welcoming everyone to Qatar and ensuring local culture and customs are respected. 
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      Uefa added that meetings had been held with a number of agencies including Qatar’s ruling Supreme Committee and the country’s FA as well as human rights organisations.
      Migrant workers told the Uefa group that they still needed additional legal support, shelters for abused workers and translation services to fill in official forms and access to information on rights. More

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      Portugal in disarray just weeks before World Cup 2022 as Cristiano Ronaldo exile at Man Utd adds to injury woes

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      PORTUGAL are in disarray just weeks before the World Cup kicks off – with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United exile adding to their woes.The Euro 2016 champions only just scraped into this winter’s tournament in Qatar.
      Cristiano Ronaldo is adding to the problems within the Portugal squadCredit: Reuters
      Fernando Santos will be having headaches ahead of the World Cup next monthCredit: EPA
      Fernando Santos’ side had to beat Turkey and North Macedonia in the play-offs to reach the main draw – where they will face Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H.
      But even with one final warm-up friendly against Nigeria, the squad is in a real mess due to injuries, players’ poor form and selection problems.
      And captain Ronaldo is only worsening the situation.
      The 37-year-old talisman, Portugal’s top goalscorer on 117, currently finds himself pushed out of the United team with his Old Trafford career hanging in the balance.
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      He has started just twice in the Premier League this term and then came his antics against Tottenham last week, refusing to be subbed on then leaving Old Trafford before full-time.
      That saw him slapped with a £720,000 fine by United as Erik ten Hag forced him to stay at home for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea.
      Ronaldo now faces showdown talks with the Dutch boss to work out his future – but could head into Portugal’s first game on November 24 with very little football under his belt.
      The same can be said for Portugal’s other star attacker, Joao Felix.
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      The £112million Atletico Madrid man is out of favour under Diego Simeone having started just one of the last seven LaLiga matches.
      To make matters worse, he has failed to score in 14 appearances for club and county – and his last assist came on the opening day of the season in the middle of August.
      Bruno Fernandes has rediscovered some form while fellow Manchester-based players Diogo Dalot, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias are doing well for their clubs.
      Rafael Leao is banging in the goals and assists for AC Milan.
      But Wolves quartet Jose Sa, Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto are in pretty dire form.
      Summer-signing Nunes has failed to trouble the scorers and mustered just one assist in 11 games in England.
      Neto managed zero goal involvements before suffering his ankle injury which has ruled him out of the World Cup.
      Neto joins former Wolves team-mate Diogo Jota in being forced to watch the tournament from the treatement room.
      Jota damaged his calf and was taken off on a stretcher against Manchester City last week before Jurgen Klopp confirmed the Liverpool ace would not be back in time to link up with his national team.
      PSG holding midfielder Danilo Pereira, who has also filled in at centre-back for Portugal, is currently out with a hamstring problem but is expected to be back in action in the coming weeks.
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      Portugal are appearing at their ninth World Cup – but their best finish came way back in their debut in 1966 when they came third.
      They were knocked out by Group H rivals Uruguay in the round of 16 in Russia four years ago thanks to an Edison Cavani double.
      Joao Felix has got used to this view from the sidelines for Atletico MadridCredit: Getty
      Diogo Jota will not be going to the World Cup after damaging his calf for LiverpoolCredit: PA
      Portugal are struggling with poor form and fitness across the squad going into QatarCredit: EPA More

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      Guardiola warns Prem rivals Haaland will get BETTER after World Cup break… as long as he behaves himself in Marbella

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      PEP GUARDIOLA believes Erling Haaland could be even deadlier in the second half of the season — as long as the Norwegian stays off the carbs in Marbs.While most elite players face a gruelling World Cup campaign, the Manchester City striker, 22, can look forward to going on his holidays.
      Erling Haaland is set to fly to Marbella for a holiday during the World CupCredit: Reuters
      Guardiola feels the Norwegian could return from his break even better than he is nowCredit: INSTAGRAM / ERLING HAALAND
      Etihad boss Guardiola said: “He will be in Marbella, for sure, and Norway. How perfect he’ll be in the second half of the season depends on how he behaves in Marbella.”
      Haaland returns to old club Borussia Dortmund for a Champions League clash on Tuesday night, having already notched up 22 goals for City since his summer move.
      And Guardiola is hoping he can become even more prolific against some tired opponents after the tournament in Qatar.
      Guardiola added: “I’m sure he’d love to be at the World Cup with Norway and hopefully he will be at the next tournament.
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      “But he has a house in Marbella and he will go there. He will play golf, hopefully not eat and drink too much and come back in great shape for the second half of the league.
      “It’s the first time in our lives it’ll happen [a mid-season World Cup] so we don’t know how the players will come back.
      “If you have six players who are world champions they will be really positive. Others may be depressed. Or the guys knocked out might have more holidays.
      “With this incredible schedule, you’ve seen how many players will miss the World Cup because of this insane calendar.
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      “We’ll see how they feel, we’ll smell it, when they come back. We’ll adapt to our routine to play again.”
      Guardiola has been surprised by Haaland’s “fox in the box” attributes, especially his ability to move in tight spaces.
      He said: “I knew he was a guy for big transitions and over 30 or 40 metres he was unstoppable but I didn’t know how good he moves in small spaces.
      “He has scored a lot of goals because he moves really well.
      “He is so intuitive and makes movements I like a lot — he goes away from the action to be close to the ball afterwards.
      “This type of movement is not easy for a striker. He’s so smart in the right moments.
      “Apart from that, his work ethic — he’s one of the first to arrive and is one of the last to leave.
      “He takes care of his body perfectly.
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      “He’s also well educated in the way he has to live as a professional.
      “Last season here in Dortmund he had a lot of problems, he could not play regularly. This season, thanks to our physios, he’s being treated really well and he can play every three or four days.” More

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      Jude Bellingham is the OLDEST 19-year-old I’ve ever seen… he can dominate at World Cup for England, says Dortmund boss

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      BORUSSIA DORTMUND’S manager reckons he has helped to construct England’s midfield for the next decade as the World Cup approaches.Edin Terzic – who previously worked with Declan Rice at West Ham – has got Jude Bellingham banging in the goals in the Bundesliga.
      Dortmund’s boss says Jude Bellingham will have a ‘big impact’ at the World CupCredit: Rex
      Head coach Edin Terzic was very complimentary about his young England starCredit: AFP
      The Dortmund boss describes the maturing box-to-box Brummie Bellingham as the ‘oldest 19-year-old I’ve ever known’.
      The locals are purring about Bellingham’s emergence as a goalscoring midfielder – after the England man scored a double in Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Stuttgart to take his season’s tally to eight.
      Bellingham has netted four of those goals in the Champions League, including the opener at the Etihad last month, before former team-mate Erling Haaland’s late winner earned City a 2-1 victory.
      His conversion into a more attacking midfielder complements the more defensively-minded Rice, who made his West Ham debut when Terzic was assistant coach to boss Slaven Bilic.
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      Terzic, 39, said: “Borussia Dortmund is well known for developing talent. But Jude, at the age of 19… he’s like the oldest 19-year-old I’ve ever seen.
      “On and off the pitch we’re really happy he’s with us.
      “It’s a win-win situation. We are benefitting from having him and he appreciates that Borussia Dortmund is the right place for his development.
      “Jude will have a big impact not only against City but for the World Cup and for the rest of our season.
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      “For the English in the next ten years not only Jude but Declan Rice, who I was fortunate to work with at West Ham, will dominate the midfield positions for their national team. They are both very talented players.
      “I’m really happy with the way Jude is performing this season. It’s a different role, more attacking, entering the opposition box many times.
      “He’s got eight goals this season. This was the next step we spoke about when I chatted to him before the season.
      “I’m happy with the way he’s performing but his development is not finished yet, we still don’t know what his limits are.”
      Terzic was an assistant manager and technical director at Dortmund while Norwegian goal machine Haaland was scoring 86 goals in 89 appearances in two and a half years at the Westfalenstadion.
      Yet Haaland has even improved on that ratio since joining City and, like his pal Bellingham, he netted twice at the weekend – the Norwegian’s brace against Brighton taking him to 22 in 15 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side.
      Jude will have a big impact not only against City but for the World Cup and for the rest of our season.Edin Terzic, on Jude Bellingham
      While City are already through to the Champions League knockout stage, and Dortmund are likely to join them, tonight’s clash will be a major ‘homecoming’ occasion for the hottest striker on the planet.
      And Terzic said: “After the game in Manchester, Pep Guardiola told me we played the same game as when we played City one and a half years ago – but I said ‘no that was when we had Erling’.
      “Then we knew that with one touch, he would score but now we don’t have that option, that’s not possible, and we have to find other ways.
      “We have only positive memories of Erling – he’s not only a brilliant player but a brilliant person in the training ground and dressing-room.
      “He enjoyed Dortmund and we saw that when he said goodbye to the club last season and when he saw us in Manchester a couple of weeks ago.
      “It was great for him to be in Dortmund and great for us to have him scoring goals. Now he’s scoring goals in a different shirt and we have to stop him from scoring goals.”
      The man tasked with stopping Haaland tonight is Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel.
      The Swiss No 1 said: “It was really emotional saying goodbye to him but now I have to stop him.
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      “It’s the type of challenge you want as a goalkeeper. He was up for a challenge all the time in training and I hope we can continue this tomorrow.
      “He is incredibly fast and physical and has a great shot but I want to keep my goal empty. It’s a really big challenge for me and the boys in front of me but matches like these are the most special.” More

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      Man Utd and Liverpool have 55 HOURS less rest than Prem Big Six rivals as horror Xmas fixtures schedule revealed

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      MANCHESTER UNITED and Liverpool have been handed the tightest festive schedules of the Premier League’s big guns.Both northern giants will play three games in just seven days when the top flight returns after the World Cup.
      Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag will not be looking forward to the Christmas fixturesCredit: PA
      Fans are ready for a festive feast of football… but some bosses won’t be too happy
      And top-four hopefuls United and Liverpool will have 55 hours less time between matches than Spurs following the Prem’s Christmas and New Year fixtures announcement.
      The Prem resumes on December 26, eight days after the World Cup final in Qatar, with Spurs facing Brentford in a lunchtime Boxing Day fixture.
      Arsenal kick off against West Ham later that day at 8pm while defending champs Manchester City have received an extra 48 hours of rest post-World Cup before facing Leeds.
      Both the Gunners and City play three games in 192 hours, 24 hours more than United and Liverpool.
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      Erik ten Hag’s side are at home to Nottingham Forest on December 27, then travel to Wolves on New Year’s Eve.
      The Red Devils will have just two clear days before a home match against Bournemouth on January 3 with an 8pm kick-off.
      Struggling Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his team’s fortunes improve in the second half of the season but the German has also been hit with three games in just 168 hours.
      The Reds play Aston Villa at 5.30pm on December 26, Leicester four days later and travel to Brentford for a teatime clash on January 2.
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      Chelsea and Tottenham have the advantage of more than a nine-day gap between the start and finish of their festive fixtures.
      Leeds have the shortest window between their three matches with just 167 hours and 45 minutes from their clash with City on December 28 at 8pm to their home showdown with West Ham on January 4 at 7.45pm.
      The Prem shuts down on November 13, with the World Cup starting a week later.
      Players will return at different times over December depending on how their countries progress. More

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      Shakhtar Donetsk chief calls for England’s opponents Iran to be kicked out of World Cup and replaced by Ukraine

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      IRAN should be booted from the World Cup and replaced by Ukraine, claims Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin.The Middle Eastern country are set to kick off their campaign against Group B rivals England on November 21, before taking on Wales and the United States.
      Sergei Palkin wants Iran booted out of the World CupCredit: Getty
      Palkin, however, is leading calls for them to be removed from the competition, after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused them of supplying drones to Russia.
      A statement from Palkin read: “Shakhtar Football Club calls on Fifa and the entire international community to immediately ban Iran’s national team from playing at the World Cup for the country’s direct participation in terrorist attacks on Ukrainians.
      “This will be a fair decision that should draw the attention of the whole world to a regime that kills its best people and helps kill Ukrainians.
      “The vacant place should be taken by the national team of Ukraine, which proved that it is worthy of participation in the mundial.
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      “With unequal conditions with other national teams during the play-offs, they played with their heart.
      “This decision is historically and sportingly justified. I urge everyone to join the pressure on the football bureaucracy.
      “It is enough to repeat the mistakes of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, hiding behind the empty thesis about the apolitically of sports.
      “Facilitating the participation of terrorists in the World Cup is politics. It’s time to put an end to such a policy.”
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      Ukraine were beaten by Wales in their World Cup qualifying play-off earlier this year.
      Zelensky, 44, revealed that seven Russian drones shot down in Ukraine were supplied by Iran.
      He responded by stripping Iran’s ambassador to Ukraine of his acceditation.
      Iran have also been accused of sending personnel to Crimea to assist with the deadly bombardment of Ukraine’s towns and cities with kamikaze drones.
      Campaigners have also intensified calls to ban Iran after more than 200 protesters were killed in a crackdown by the country’s religious morality police.
      Iran has been rocked by an uprising triggered when a student died in police custody after she was held for not wearing her headscarf correctly.
      Carlos Queiroz is set to lead Iran at the World CupCredit: AP More